The Race
by DanieXJ
Summary: Second in my Holidays Series. The competitive juices are flowing.


Title: The Race

A/N: Takes place a bit after the game that won't be named... (on Feb 3rd 2008), but before Valentine's Day (for reasons that will become clear).

* * *

Kerry glanced down as her phone shrilled. She opened it and put it to her ear. "Donald?"

"Kerry, I need a favor."

* * *

"Hey, did you hear?"

Kim squinted at Carl. "I hear a lot of things, what specifically are you talking about Carl?"

"It's between us and Northwestern. They're looking for an ER chief as well."

"Who?"

Carl held up a hand, "Think Napoleonic Power Monger."

Kim quirked a smile, "So, we're getting Lt. Colonel Janet Fraiser as our new Chief of the ER? Just tell me who it is Carl."

"Woman, you watch too much TV."

Kim shook her head, "It just sticks up here, I can't help it. I watched that show once, and it's... who Carl..."

"Kerry."

"Oh..."

Carl blinked, Kim was taking it better than he thought she would. "Come on, I mean, why would she pick us right... it's a long shot."

Kim nodded, "Long shot, right..."

* * *

Kerry stood in the doorway of the convenience store that had replaced her beloved Doc Magoos and watched, everything. She shouldn't do it, Donald had been wrong, it wasn't just a favor, it was like going back for a tenth school reunion, except, when she went back to her high school, college, med school, she didn't have as many memories. Lucy and Carter getting stabbed, her... run in with Benzene, Shannon Wallace, Sandy's guerrilla kiss that outed her to the entire hospital, Doug and Susan making fun of her when she had her crutch. The birth of her son, the death of Sandy, and Kim... Kerry closed her eyes. Kim.

"This is crazy."

"So is talking to one self in doorways." Kerry turned, "Could I exit the store with my purchases now Doc?"

Kerry smiled, "Randi..."

"Doc." Randi raised an eyebrow. "There's a better vantage point over here anyway..." Kerry followed Randi to a bit of an indentation in the wall.

"What are you doing here?"

Randi shrugged, "My first day back. ER clerk."

"Oh, Randi..."

Randi shook her head with a smile, "You know Doc, you're one of about one people who give a shit about me."

"That's not true."

Randi shrugged, "I hit some bad times. I'm pretty good at this, it pays the bills. Hey, how's your little pipsqueak?"

Kerry stared at Randi for a moment before she went with the change of subject. "Henry is doing amazing. Growing like a weed, won't shut up, reads like... like..."

Randi gave Kerry a smirk, "His mother." Kerry gave Randi a push.

"I resemble that remark."

Randi winced, "That's a bad one Doc... So, you coming back? From what I hear, they need you. Pratt thinks he's ready, but... he's not, Luka, who knows what's going on with Luka, and Neela is in Ortho."

"Ortho?"

Randi held up her hands, "I don't know. The place has gone to hell without you Doc. They need you, bad."

"-ly... badly."

Randi pursed her lips, "Okay, they don't need that." Kerry smiled at that. "It's 'cause of Kim, right, because she's back up in the Psych Ward."

"No."

Randi did a mental double take, "Really?"

"We... ran into each other at the Super Bowl. We were, are, two total opposites. I have Henry, and... dates."

Randi rubbed her hands together, "Ooh, I need details."

"Miranda..."

Randi laughed, "Uh, maybe I don't want you to come back. If it's not Kim, then what?"

Kerry closed her eyes, "Work, work is supposed to just be that. Work is work, personal life is personal life. Never the two shall meet."

Randi's mouth went into an 'O' shape and she pointed at Kerry, "I totally get it, I get it, I get it... you think you'll go back in there and the whole... Kim mystique will get'cha again."

"So many people have died, there are so many..." She trailed off and in their little corner there was silence.

It was Randi who broke it. "Well, I need to get in there. Oh, hey, and Kerry."

"Hmmm?"

Randi flicked the collar of Kerry's shirt, "You look good."

With that she started off towards the hospital.

* * *

"Kerry."

Kerry looked up, she was outside of her house, about to go in and start dinner before her son got home. She took a deep breath, she had thought that she would have had at least until tomorrow before she had to deal with the... Kim issue at work. "What do you want Kim? I'm tired and hungry."

"I..."

Kerry closed her hand around her keys, the teeth biting into her palm. "Can this wait until tomorrow Kim? Please."

"No..."

Kerry took a deep breath. "What is so important that it can't wait until work tomorrow? It's a good job, I took it, Anspaugh practically begged me to come back."

Kim quirked a grin, which fell off her face when Kerry didn't grin back, "No practically about it Ker-ry..."

"Kim."

"I lo..."

"No..." Kerry held a hand up, "You don't love me. I'm the one that got away, the one you couldn't befriend afterwards. You need me to make your little world make sense again, but you don't love me."

"No... no..."

"Yes. It's okay Kim. We both made mistakes, and in no time... we'll be colleagues again. We're both adults."

Kim fell silent and then pointed at the corner of Kerry's block. "I'll race you to the end. I win, we go out on a real date so I can prove to you that I'm not just... trying to fix my little world." She raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we could skip the pouring wine down my front though?"

Kerry crossed her arms over her chest, "And if I win?"

Kim's eyes twinkled, "You won't..." Kerry tilted her head to one side. "Whatever you want."

Kerry shook her head, "This is crazy, you're ten feet taller than I am..." Kim stuck her bottom lip out and Kerry rolled her eyes, "Okay, remember I've only been bipedal for a few years now."

"Oh, this won't..." Kerry shot Kim a pure Chief of the ER look, "I take back the question your majesty."

"What'cha two doin'?"

Abby, Joey, and Henry appeared behind the two women. Kerry turned halfway around and blinked, "Uh..."

Kim wiggled her eyebrows, "We're gonna race to the corner. So... who do you think's gonna win Henry?"

Henry looked first at his Mom and then Kim, he pointed at Kim, "Kim..."

Kerry did a double take, "Henry Carlos..."

Henry smiled a totally and utterly innocent smile, "Sworry..."

Kerry stood up and narrowed her eyes, "I win, you take all of us out."

"Sounds good..."

Abby shook her head and winced as Kerry kept speaking, "I wasn't finished Dr. Legaspi. Take us all out... to Chuckie Cheeses."

Kim groaned, "Do they even still have those?" She shook her head, "Guess I'll have to win."

Kerry stood perfectly still, while jumped around like a demented monkey. Both boys watched with smiles on their faces and Abby shook her head. "If one or both of you gets hurt, we are going to County... because, otherwise they won't ever believe me..." She shook her head again. "Crazy. Okay. On your marks... get set... GO!"

Both women took off, Kim sort of looked like a cross between Jack Sparrow when he was trying to get away from the cannibals in "Dead Man's Chest" and... actually, except for the blonde hair and breasts she looked almost exactly like he had, arms and legs flailing every which way.

Kerry on the other hand looked as wound up as a top ready to spin, as if she wasn't sure if her next step would send her careening towards the ground.

They made it to the corner and both slowed down as they turned. It was either the slowing down, the turn, or a combination of both that were their downfall. Two steps after the corner Kerry felt her feet hit a crack or rock, or something and she knew it was going to hurt when she hit the ground, and then she felt a body impact hers and both she and Kim went down in a pile of arms and legs.

Kim found her lips mere inches from Kerry's and she couldn't resist. Ever since they had seen each other at the Super Bowl she couldn't get Kerry out of her head. She captured Kerry's lips, ignoring the pain radiating down her right knee and arm.

And Kerry responded, her own pain forgotten as she got lost in Kim's lips and mouth. That is, until a throat cleared and they heard two small children's giggles. "So, who won?"

Kerry swallowed, but didn't answer, knowing she should move, but her body not listening to her brain. Kim was the one who slowly untangled her longer legs from Kerry's, but didn't get up.

Kerry did as Kim spoke from the ground, "I think it was a draw, not to mention I need to go on the 60 Day DL."

Abby's eyes twinkled, "Good thing Kerry's a doctor... anyway... that was why we swung by, Henry wanted to stay overnight tonight."

Kerry got down one knee in front of her son, with only a slight groan, "You be good for Aunt Abby okay?" She gave him a kiss on the cheek, which he wiped at with the back of his hand.

"Yes Mama..."

Kerry straightened up, "Thank you."

Abby looked from Kerry to Kim, who was still on the ground. "Oh, I'll figure out how to be repaid, be warned..."

As Abby and the two boys walked away Kerry yanked Kim off the ground. Kim jerked to her full height. "I forgot that you can do that..."

Kerry smiled, "C'mon superstar, let's get some ice on your knee."

* * *

Kim was properly iced and ace'd up and both women sat watching "Personal Best".

Kim shook her head, "This is worse than I remember... Why are we watching it?"

Kerry smiled, "Apt subject matter? I think they just broke up."

Kim took the remote from Kerry's hand, and hit the power button on the DVD player, not even stopping it first. "I... I'm not really in the mood for the ending, not tonight. I know, you haven't seen it, but I..." Kim took a breath and closed her eyes.

Silence came over the room, "I never did, you know..."

"I wasn't talking about you Kerry..."

A laugh bubbled from Kerry's mouth, "No, of course you were. I haven't been with a man since I met you Kim, once... the thought crossed my mind once since we bumped into each other."

Kim shrugged, "You want a medal?" Kerry gripped Kim's legs and dragged her so they were facing each other on the couch, "Hey, damn that hurt, injured knee remember?"

"You'll live. Kim... you found the piece of my puzzle that made my life make sense. Because of you I figured out that my way is the way of the lesbian, not the way of the heterosexual."

A snort of laughter came out of Kim's nose and she put a hand to it, "Uh, sorry, that was..." She schooled her features, "That wasn't supposed to be funny..."

Kerry raised an eyebrow, "I rarely make an allusion by accident Legaspi."

"But..."

Kerry nodded, "...that means that I made it at least to the fourth season. Actually, I'm in the fifth season." Kerry shook her head, "I have to say, the Sais... Gabrielle."

Kim made a face, "I don't know, I always leaned towards Xena and that Chakram..." Kim took Kerry's hands in her own, "Look, Ker... Kerry..."

"You can call me Ker, Kim. It's okay..."

Kim went silent, "Ker, I came on strong, I know... again. But you have to believe, this... what I feel for you, I, it can't just be me wanting to... to..."

"Win?"

Kim closed her eyes, "Tell me that you don't still feel something, anything, and I'll leave you alone, we will go back to being just co-workers, colleagues."

Kerry smiled, "What if that's not what I want?"

Kim opened her eyes and blinked in surprise, "But..."

Kerry pushed a lock of Kim's hair from her forehead, "No chasing, no misunderstandings. I... I'm not good at Public Displays, but..."

Kim scootched up so that her legs were on either side of Kerry on the couch, "And no expectations." A small smile came to her face as she made an 'X' over her heart, "I promise."

* * *

Fin ~ February 4th, 2008


End file.
